Environmental Policy

The Environment

At Uniboard^®, we are convinced that operating a profitable business and maintaining a responsible approach to resources are by no means contradictory aims, but that they are actually mutually beneficial.

On the following pages, you can find out more about our philosophy with regard to the environment and climate protection as well as our most important raw material, wood. You can also discover how we integrate environmental awareness into our value chain.

Our philosophy

As one of the North America's leading producers of engineered wood, Uniboard^® is convinced that operating a profitable business and maintaining a responsible approach to resources are by no means contradictory aims, but that they are actually mutually beneficial. Uniboard^® therefore sees it as only logical to conserve energy and raw materials, to reduce emissions and to produce sustainable products that benefit the environment. Simultaneously, it reduces the Group’s operating expenses, reflects our customers' wishes, and is of course in line with relevant legislation and regulations.

Emphasis on sustainability

For us, environmental protection goes beyond a voluntary commitment and is one of the keystones supporting our corporate strategy. Placing emphasis on sustainability helps us as a modern company to control costs and reduce risks and it also makes a substantial contribution to our long-term competitiveness.

This philosophy is applied throughout our entire value chain. Our environmental strategy is therefore based on three pillars, which also represent specific areas for action:

 

 

Organization: Continual improvement and transparency of processes through management systems
Production: Continual improvement of production processes in order to further reduce our consumption of energy and raw materials while maintaining the high quality of our products
Products: Concentration of research and development work on fiber residues, lighter density engineered wood and new resin systems are just a few of the initiatives we are constantly engaged in

 

Sustainable forestry

We produce engineered wood – to do so we need wood as a raw material. In order to live up to our responsibility to this natural and renewable resource, we consistently follow the principle of sustainable forestry.

We believe that …

only so much wood should be harvested as is replaced;
forests should be professionally managed and utilized, and thus kept healthy;
the many functions of forests should be strengthened (maintaining biological diversity, improving countryside, use in leisure activities …);
a maximum of carbon should be stored in trees and thus taken out of the atmosphere by felling at the most favorable time.

 

Wood and the climate – an ideal cycle

Trees extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while growing. The carbon is kept within the wood as long as it exists. This continues to apply when the natural raw material is processed – into particleboard or MDF for example. The storage effect is greater, thus creating a longer period of use for a product made of wood.

After being used, wooden products can either be used once again by being recycled, or can replace other sources of energy with a CO2-neutral balance. We definitely prefer the option of recycling because this means that carbon is still stored in the products. Another aspect is that the availability of wood as a natural resource is limited: We therefore advocate cascade utilization – first as a raw material and then as a source of energy.

From tree to panel

Ecology and economics are mutually beneficial. This corporate philosophy is reflected in all stages of production along our value chain.

Click on the image below for an interactive look at our environmental policy

 

 

Environmental policy

Uniboard^® regards quality, the environment and safety as fixed components of our corporate philosophy. We have therefore defined guidelines for areas that oblige each of our employees to behave proactively in this respect. They form the foundations of our environmental policy.

Uniboard^®’s Quality, Environmental Health and Safety Policy

• Alongside its economic success, Uniboard^® is committed to interacting with people, the environment and resources in a responsible manner. We view quality, the environment, health and safety as essential elements of our corporate philosophy. That’s why we have defined guidelines for these fields that commit us to an active approach. As a manufacturer of engineered wood products, we work with renewable resources. We use wood from sustainable forestry and recycled materials for our products.
• Compliance with laws and regulations is a matter of course for our Company, just like the realization of customer requirements. In addition, we also work continuously on improving our products and environmental protection at our operating facilities.
• As part of an international company, we implement our convictions consistent with Pfleiderer AG our parent Company to get a holistic and all encompassing management system for quality, the environment, health and safety.
• We maintain state-of-the-art safety standards and organizational measures at all times, in order to avoid accidents or limit their impact to the greatest extent possible. We train our employees regularly and provide them with appropriate and comprehensive information. In this way, we encourage and empower our employees to be independent and to take responsibility for their actions.
• When we develop new products and manufacturing processes to satisfy our customers’ needs, we look at the processes as a whole and how ecological they are going to be. When selecting suppliers and subcontractors, we place emphasis on ensuring that they also have a responsible attitude to the environment and their employees’ safety.
• We monitor and assess our processes and products regularly and aim to achieve continuous improvement. This is how we want to provide products with the highest value to our customers and to reduce the unavoidable environmental effects.
• We place emphasis on maintaining an open dialog with our employees and customers as well as the authorities and the general public. We have a transparent approach to our customers and the public about the environmental impact of the products we manufacture and the services we provide.

 

Certification

We have clearly defined processes in the areas of the environment, safety and quality, which create transparency and clarity. Only in this way can we work with the utmost care and responsibility. The certifications we have already achieved support us in our continuos improvement. Here you can find an overview of our current certifications.

Canada

	ISO 9001	ISO 14001	FSC
Laval	X
Mont-Laurier	X		X
Sayabec I	X		X
Sayabec II	X		X
Val-d´Or	X		X
Val-d´Or  - Unires	X		Not applicable

USA

	ISO 9001	ISO 14001	FSC
Moncure PB			X
Moncure MDF			Coming soon

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